


Thwack!

by HazelGatoya



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Blame Laslow, But I'm apparently a sucker for pain :D, Elise and Kamui are just mentioned though, Gen, Jousting tournament, No one knows what to do with their new retainers, Speaking of retainers, Teenage Xander, Teenage everyone really, There are like a thousand easier ways to answer the prompt "collide", This is how Xander and Peri met, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 20:41:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelGatoya/pseuds/HazelGatoya
Summary: A month after Laslow of the Azure Skies crashes into his life, Crown Prince Xander is sent to a jousting tournament to find a second retainer- he is highly unimpressed, but there is one young woman who shows promise.It doesn't hurt that she might be the only woman on the planet Laslow doesn't flirt with.





	Thwack!

**Author's Note:**

> For the spring prompt test on Wattpad- I know it's not Scripted Fates, the next chapter of that will be out next week, I swear upon the name of Anankos. Peri just being a general joy to write despite her... issues, I thought I'd explore Xander's past with his retainers a bit. I found that they were all terribly, terribly awkward. XD Hope you enjoy! I love comments, so leaving one would be greatly appreciated.

        The snow had melted from the plains of Nohr at last, and therefore it was time for the spring fighting tournament. A very special spring tournament evidently, since the Crown Prince and his new retainer were attending.

        It had been a very hectic, stressful winter for said Crown Prince, not that the people down below his special viewing box knew that. "You seem far more fascinated than I am," Xander remarked to the silver-haired man that he was very slowly getting to know. 

        "Mm. This is my first time seeing a jousting tournament," Laslow replied, indigo gaze flicking back to him for a moment before turning back to the two riders about to charge each other in the ring. "I've heard of them of course, but this is my first opportunity to actually attend."

        Xander continued to study Laslow even as the bell rang and the cavaliers charged at each other, noting that he was wearing a different pair of earrings today, a pair of silver triangles that were just a tad more flashy than his usual pair of ivory that curved back behind his earlobes like horns. Still didn't seem like these would much get in the way of a fight.

        Honestly, Xander was rather annoyed with the fact that he was here looking for a second retainer when he'd only had a month to try and figure out this man who was so very different from Ludger and Cibran- who he was still grieving for, thank you very much. He knew very little about this man as it was, which bothered him more than he cared to admit. He was the Crown Prince. He needed to be able to read people, but Laslow was... difficult.

        The mercenary was a foreigner, he had two friends who were also foreign retainers. Camilla had accepted Selena with open arms filled with suspicion at first, but now it wasn't uncommon for the eldest princess to gush about her new friend whenever the redhead was brought up. Odin still had his work cut out for him getting into Leo's good graces, which Xander had brought up to Laslow in passing. He'd gotten a shrug and a smile in response, as well as a remark that Odin would earn his keep.

        The lances clashed, the lack of splintering leaving Xander unimpressed with both of the cavaliers and therefore giving him room to keep thinking about his current retainer and his ability to be so outwardly and convincingly casual. Laslow was a paradox. Casual as any commoner, but able to talk around nobles easily without causing offense when he didn't mean to- save for women. Seemingly lax in duties, but everything got done and Laslow was by far one of the deadliest soldiers he had ever seen on the battlefield. The same age than the 17-year-old Crown Prince, but there were times that he seemed to be far, far older than anyone in the castle. Smiles came easily to him, but Xander had caught himself wondering how genuine those smiles were for several nights while he lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling. There were times he wondered how genuine the flirting- dear gods, the _terrible, terrible flirting_ \- was as well, but it was enough of a nuisance that he was coming to the unwelcome conclusion that it was both genuine and a fatal flaw.

        The bout ended, one of the lances knocked from one of the competitors' hand. Xander noted their faces and sighed. "Yeah, they were only somewhat decent in the other events too," Laslow agreed- there was also that  _uncanny_ ability of his that Xander was somehow getting used to but still attempting to make himself harder to read to counteract it. A royal shouldn't be showing his emotions so easily that a man who had known him for a month could immediately tell what he was thinking in some situations. 

        "We probably won't be getting anyone worthwhile until the later bouts. This is the real test of skill." Xander leaned forward in his seat a bit. "Anyone can duel with a sword, but Nohr prides itself on its cavalry." 

        Laslow gave a bit of a thoughtful nod. He'd likely noticed- all of the royal siblings had a mount, after all, even little Elise. She'd started riding a year ago, according to Father, eight years old was too old to just be starting training, so she was quite capable on her young pony that had grown far too big by her ninth birthday...

        Next bout, still not impressive. Next bout... hmm, no. "The one on the left is decent," Laslow offered.

        "But not extraordinary."

        "No, definitely not that." And no more words were said about that man.

        His standards were probably too high, Xander noted as the jousts went on. The people here  _were_ decent, but he was used to Ludger and Cibran- both of them knights that had been raised to protect the Crown Prince of Nohr for years. That meant they had to be good at their job, and he'd only ever bested Ludger in a fight because of his advantage with Siegfried. He'd never managed to defeat Cibran, and Laslow himself was an absolute monster when it came to swordplay. Whoever he chose as his retainer here had to at least be able to keep up with his current retainer.

        Was that even possible? This was _Laslow_ they were talking about.

        "I've said it before, but that girl is far too pretty to be fighting," Laslow mused, watching as a redheaded noblewoman threw her helmet on the ground in abject frustration. "Terribly sore loser, too."

        "And I'll request again that you keep the interest in the women to a minimum," Xander sighed. "Most nobles are sore losers here in Nohr."

        "Oh, so it's the same in every country, then." The remark was dry. He didn't follow up with more details and Xander didn't ask- though he really wanted to- he knew better than to demand answers from Laslow about his homeland at this point. "Ah. Speaking of women, there's the girl that threw her opponent across the arena in the duels."

        "She has a helmet on, Laslow." Xander frowned down at the two competitors facing each other. Curses, he really hadn't been paying attention to any features of the people in the duels with as dismissive as he'd been. "Don't tell me you memorized her outfit."

        "My memory is  _not_ that good, milord," Laslow chuckled. Xander filed that away to think about later. "It's the way she carries herself."

        "Is that so?" They were running now, the lances clashing and the man's lance immediately being knocked out of his hand. The girl wheeled her horse around in excitement, moving back to the next round. Now that Laslow mentioned it...

        She won the bout, knocking the lance out of the man's hand both times without any sort of regard for skill or trickery- she just seemed extremely enthusiastic about the joust. She lifted her helmet, beaming, pale blue hair with pink ends spilling out just above her shoulders. Interesting... now that he thought about it, she'd had that same expression throughout the entire tournament- one of excitement, of joy. 

        "I do remember her now that she's not wearing the helmet," he admitted. "She's done well, but she has practically no skill." 

        "You're absolutely right, milord. But she has made it this far, and she definitely has a different attitude than the rest."

        "She hasn't lost yet," Xander pointed out, and Laslow gave a small nod, going quiet again.

        Xander did keep an eye on the girl with candy-colored hair, after that, however, unable to help himself. It was entirely possible that she had caught Laslow's eye just because of her gender, but there _was_ something inherently different about her. Watching as she mowed through her opponents, that same exultant expression on her face. She took splintered lances like the rest of them, tossing her head but charging straight in all the same when the next bout came. She obviously didn't have a care in the world about how she looked, and while she had no skill it also seemed she was just here for the fun of it.

        There were other promising candidates, but his eyes kept being drawn back to that one. The semifinals came, and she was still in the ring, bringing down the guard to her helmet after grinning at her much larger competition. "She's going to lose here," Xander commented. "Or pull something we haven't seen yet."

        Laslow nodded in agreement about the difference in raw strength and skill between the two and they watched as the cavaliers charged each other, and the girl's lance immediately shattered upon impact. The crowd went wild, and the winner raised his lance to the sky, while the girl shook out her hand, wheeling her horse around again. No competition there, she was out of the tournament. She removed her helmet as she was heading out of the ring, but she was still smiling even if it was a bit subdued.

        Huh.

        The second semifinal had a couple of promising individuals, but the slighter of the two was completely knocked off of his horse, causing Laslow to wince, but the retainer kept his silence. Those two weren't exactly promising either, but he'd see which man took the championship.

        They began gearing up for the final joust, and Xander glanced to Laslow, arching an eyebrow at what he saw. "If you want to look about, I can handle myself for an hour or so," he told him, noting how the mercenary's foot was tapping and that he wasn't really paying attention at this point despite this being the final joust.

        "There is something I want to look into-" He'd read his expression correctly, and was more pleased than he probably should be about that. "But are you certain about this, Lord Xander?"

        "Yes. Go. Just don't flirt with anyone."

        Laslow grinned, standing up with that fluid grace that accompanied most of his movements. "I'm actually not planning on that. Be back as soon as I'm done, then." 

        He slipped out of the booth before Xander could get another word in, and that was probably for the best... he didn't want to give his retainer ideas. And speaking of retainers... he watched the two cavaliers clash for the next fifteen minutes, took in the smug look on the champion's face, and shook his head slightly. He may have won the tournament, but he hadn't won a position at the palace.

        This would be a lot easier if his heart was into looking...

        "Your Highness?" Xander looked back to see one of the many attendants of this event poking his head into the booth. "Pardon the interruption, but Princess Camilla and Prince Leo arrived a few minutes ago- they're looking for you."

        Xander didn't show his surprise, simply stood up. "Where are they?"

        "Down in the hallways of the main level, Your Highness, near the entrance." Xander nodded, and the man respectfully stood to the side as he left the booth and headed down the stairs, noting the noise level growing as he descended two levels.

        He emerged onto the ground level and walked into the bustle of those who had been in the tournament and those who had been hosting and helping with the event. The crowd parted for him when they noticed who he was, some scrambling out of the way because they hadn't noticed fast enough. Xander ignored them, he'd gotten used to this sort of treatment over the years and it was likely that none of them had anything that was worth his time, especially since he knew exactly who he was looking for.

        "Xander, dearest!" Camilla called out just as he caught sight of a large open space where his brother and sister were standing. His younger sister was wearing a long black dress underneath her armor- which made sense, the courts would go into conniptions if she were out in public showing as much skin as she usually did back at home. She'd grown into a vision even at the tender age of fifteen, and he was glad she had two capable retainers by her side.

        Young Leo was still quite tiny, but his dark eyes flashed with the same fire as any of the adults in the court- though he looked rather uncomfortable here. "I didn't expect to see you two here," Xander remarked, stepping up to them. "Where are Selena and Niles?" Beruka was at her expected place near Camilla's side, so at least he knew they hadn't come here alone. But Leo and Niles were near inseparable nowadays, especially, Xander would think, when leaving the palace.

        "Selena said she had something she wanted to check out, and Niles followed her," Leo replied, tugging at his blond bangs and glancing out at the crowd. "Where's Laslow?"

        "There was something he wanted to look into, so I gave him leave for about an hour. I don't know if his little venture will take that long or not."

        "From what Selena has mentioned about that man-"

        "Selena talks too much," Beruka grumbled, causing Camilla to break off into a musical laugh and Xander to arch an eyebrow in surprise. The blue-haired young woman was silent to the point that he heard her talk about once a week, and she _never_ interrupted Camilla.

        "She's definitely been an adjustment, but not an unwelcome one. Anyways," Camilla continued, waving a hand. "Selena said he has a habit of poking his nose into other people's business. He may be helping you with your little assignment here on his own terms."

        "Well... how well the potential retainer takes to Laslow and how well he takes to them is an important factor, since they'll be working with him," Xander remarked, brow slightly furrowed as he realized that yes, from what he'd observed, that was definitely a Laslow trait. Which made sense, Selena had allegedly known him for nearly their entire lives. "So that's an more than an acceptable use of his time." Though he wished that Laslow had  _said_ that was what he'd be doing. That man's intentions were incredibly unclear at times.

        "Do you have any ideas for who that retainer is going to be, brother?" Leo asked, arms crossed now as he looked up at the two of them. 

        Xander drew in a breath, calculating his answer, when he noticed Niles pushing through the crowd, a look of utmost consternation on the former outlaw's dark face. "No, nothing's wrong," he responded before anyone could even ask, everyone had tensed at his sudden appearance. "Nothing serious, anyways." He turned to Leo, scowl growing deeper. "He's  _here._ "

        Leo made a motion as if he was going to throw his hands up in his air but couldn't because they were in public, and the frozen expression on his face just screamed frustration as he clenched and unclenched his hands for a moment. Xander couldn't help a small, amused smile, and Camilla tsked softly. "You two are so  _rude_ to him. I know you're annoyed about him being forced upon you Leo, and he is... extremely confusing... but that's no reason to be downright hostile." 

        "I  _do not trust him,_ " Leo hissed. "I still have yet to find anything that could plausibly explain those three being in Nohr, and he's far too friendly and eager to please besides."

        "Still, his work speaks for itself." Xander arched both eyebrows at his younger brother. "I've been gone often this month so I have not heard it confirmed, but I believe you told him to not return under any circumstances if the Woods of the Forlorn still had even one spirit haunting it?"

        "Oh, he managed to clear the woods alright," Niles grumbled, his arms crossed about as tightly as Leo's were at this point. "Letters of gratitude from the nearby towns reached Castle Krakenburg long before he did, apparently the mission drained his magic quite a bit."

        "He cleared the  _entire_ Wood of the spirits that have been have haunting it for  _centuries._ " Leo made a helpless gesture before sighing. "It's just as ridiculous as somehow slipping through Iago's shields and infiltrating Krakenburg on  _accident._  I just don't know how to face him."

        "Ah. That's why you're here." Leo gave a defeated nod, and Camilla just nodded, causing Xander's amusement to grow. It looked like Laslow was right yet again- if Odin continued work such as this, Leo would have to recognize his worth and warm to him eventually. It was just going to be slow. Speaking of Laslow... "Are all three of them together by any chance?" he asked Niles.

        "Yup. Doing a sparring match and pseudo lesson with some noblewoman with candy-colored hair." Niles shrugged helplessly. "Couldn't tell you why, though."

        Candy-colored hair? The woman who had placed in fourth and had that smile throughout the entire tournament? Not to mention had gotten so far on raw strength and determination without an ounce of skill? ... _Hmm._  "We should likely join them and see what's caught their interest," Xander suggested.

        "Ooh, sounds like fun," Camilla chuckled, and Beruka gave a small nod in agreement while Niles and Leo exchanged a glance before the young prince sighed in defeat and nodded as well. 

        "Right this way, gentlefolk." Niles shrugged with a small version of his usual smirk, and turned, heading back the way he'd come with his hands in his pockets. The royals followed, the crowd once again parting for them and in turn Niles once they realized it was him that the three of them were following. Which in turn caused the white-haired man's smirk to grow just before he gestured them into what Xander recognized as a training room that would be complete with a tiny area for two fighters.

        "YEEEEEE!"

        All five of them stopped in shock at the sight of Selena, grasping the wrong end of a lance with both hands, flipping it and the person holding it through the air with what could only be described as a battle _roar_ , not a cry. The girl was slammed into the ground with a  _thwack,_ forced to let go of the lance as she wheezed for breath. Selena stepped back deftly, slamming the blunted tip of the lance into the sand on the ground while Laslow and Odin, who were leaning on the railing that separated where they were all standing from the mini-arena below, exchanged a sympathetic wince. "Too eager, Vicomtesse," Selena told the girl, hand on her hip. "Any soldier worth their salt could have pulled that move on you and taken out any allies around you while they were at it."

        "Ooh, I've been thwacked," the young woman pulled herself into a sitting position, still struggling to get her breath back. "Laslow was telling me kinda the same thing..."

        "You've never had a day's proper training yet have a lot of natural talent is what I'm getting from this," Selena replied, glancing up at the boys. "Odin, you want a go with the lady here?"

        "Peri." The girl puffed her cheeks out, shaking sand out of her blue and pink colored hair. "Just call me Peri. And I'd love to fight the funny man!"

        "Why am I  _funny man_?" Odin complained. "While I won't deny the intrigue of such a sparring match, I came here to report to milord that I have finished the task he sent me forth to accomplish."

        Leo cleared his throat, and all four of them turned, Odin immediately straightening at the sight of them while Laslow gave a small smile and Selena saluted. "Ah, hello, milord. Lady Camilla, Lord Leo, Niles and Beruka as well," the silver-haired mercenary greeted them.

        "Before you start your flowery version of things, we know already," Niles told Odin with a small frown. "The towns sent word that they no longer have anything to worry about and thanked Lord Leo a thousand times over for sending someone out to deal with the problem."

        "Oh." Odin seemed to deflate a bit, but perked up a moment later, a small smile on his face. He seemed tired, Xander thought, which with all that he'd been through the past month made sense. "Well, you know the deed's been done at least, and those spirits were no match for the great Odin Dark!"

        "Yes, so it would seem," Leo agreed. "You've performed far above and beyond expectations and congratulations are in order for that. But first, what in the devil's name is going on here?"

        Odin looked at Laslow. "Milord, this is Peri." Laslow jerked his head toward the girl in the sand, and she stood, giving a small bow. "Vicomtesse Peridot Victinia, if I remember correctly."

        "Oh my big sis is going to be the heir to the family name," Peridot scoffed, straightening. "Just call me Peri!" She looked up at Xander, giving a large smile. "An honor to meet you, Your Highnesses! Laslow said he wanted to ask me a few things and have a little sparring match. And then Selena came down to thwack me after I lost to him, and now I guess it's Odin's turn. This is tons of fun, though, I'm learning a lot!"

        "Well aren't you adorable?" Camilla gave a fond smile. "Though it would seem you've received about as much training to be a noblewoman as a warrior."

        "Soooooo none, yeah." Peri grinned. "Daddy doesn't much care what I do, so I came down here because I thought fighting in the tourney would be fun! Had to read a toooooon of rules so I didn't get disqualified over something dumb, but other than that, I was right."

        She really didn't know much at all about fighting, then- or rather, she was self-taught. And yet she'd come in fourth place just by reading the rule book. Interesting. "Hey, Odin, you coming down to fight her or not?" Selena asked.

        Odin sent a questioning look back to Leo. "Yes, go ahead." Leo gave a nod. "Should be interesting."

        "Very well!" Odin hopped over the railing and Laslow gave Selena a hand getting out. The young woman's red eyes flicked to Xander's and locked on them in a way that was not at all accidental.

        Gods, but she was so much easier to read than Laslow. "Camilla, could I borrow Selena for a moment?" Xander asked.

        "Oh? Go ahead." Camilla's smile was a curious one, but she didn't seem too eager to ask what this was about. "Selena dearest, Xander wants to talk to you."

        Selena dipped her head to Camilla and Beruka in a small gesture of respect and came over to Xander while Odin began dodging Peri's careful advances with her lance, no weapon in his hands and the rest of the group moved up to watch the two of them more closely. "You know why Laslow is paying more attention to her than the rest of the participants in this tournament." The words were said quietly, and they were not a question.

        "Yeah, I do," Selena replied. No stepping around the bush either, which he appreciated. "We've seen her type before, only he had all the skills he needed to stand with an army. She will, once she gets proper training. If she doesn't wind up as your retainer, she'll probably take a position within the army and they'll put her to work that way. Probably won't keep her satisfied for long, though."

        "Mm. I thought she seemed too eager in the ring." He didn't sense any inherent cruelty from her, though, which was strange. "It could just be a love of fighting, so I don't see why-" Selena shook her head. "No?"

        "Like I said, we've seen her type. I'll put this bluntly- killing is a necessary evil to most of the royal family from what I've seen. Peri enjoys it."

        Well that was a problem. Yet Laslow was still paying attention to her, and from what he'd seen...

        "Yeek!" Peri squealed, and there was a thud. 

        "That was an over-correction," Laslow called, wincing again.

        "He doesn't flirt with her," Xander commented quietly while Niles began adding to Laslow's commentary, starting up a conversation between everyone over there. 

        "Nope. She's not his type." Xander gave her an incredulous look- unable to help himself. "Okay, wrong wording, he'd have to  _have_ a type first," Selena admitted. "But he generally doesn't try to be romantic with the mentally unstable."

        "You're not answering my question as to why he is so interested and not in a romantic way- which means he is interested in working with her as my retainer. Everything you've given me has been negative information regarding her."

        "Because you're the Crown Prince and should be able to make an educated decision on your own terms." Selena gave a slight shrug. "You've seen the good in her already, you know that she'll be gaining an extremely strong retainer once she gets some proper training. But you're also going to have to keep an eye on her and you have a lot on your plate already." She gave him a sidelong glance. "Choice is yours, Your Highness." 

        She didn't wait for a dismissal, heading back to the others. Xander didn't call her out on it, she'd given him a lot to think about. Regarding Peri, the only person here he'd consider taking as his retainer, really. 

        She was young, a couple years younger than him and Laslow by the looks of it. The same age as Camilla. That meant he'd be bringing yet another teenager out onto the field, and she seemed to be Cibarn's polar opposite. But she rode a horse well, she was honest. She was _honest._ Where in Nohr did one find an honest noble?

        She was everything his father would want him to bring back to the palace besides her lack of skill and her evident childishness. Things that were making him hesitate less than he thought they would have.  _Strength comes in all forms, Future King,_  the sage had told him last month when he had gone up to meet him.  _I told your father the same. If you are to receive my strength, you must have fortitude, compassion, and a steady hand. You must be willing to lift those who need you. You are no longer a child in need of protection. You are a prince whose duty is to protect his people. That is why you receive my strength. Use it wisely._

        ...If Peri was mentally unstable, as Selena had claimed, that meant that she could plausibly one day become a criminal, but she was not one yet. Nothing had happened with Beruka yet, nor Niles, and both of them more obviously criminals than the girl. He'd seen Leo guiding his retainer's hand, quietly correcting his ways while not changing who the man was. People were more likely to make positive choices if guided correctly, and while he didn't want to condone the use of human weaponry, if he could shape Peri into such without harming her...

        And where on  _earth_  was he going to find another woman that Laslow had no interest in harassing?

        He took a breath, heading over to the arena again just as Odin and Peri were being helped out of there by Laslow and Selena respectively. Peri grinned at Xander, saluting him. "You've got such strong retainers," she giggled. 

        "On the subject," he responded. "Peri, I came here looking for another retainer. I was wondering if you would accept the position."

        Camilla's and Leo's heads both swung to him in surprise while Peri's pink eyes lit up. "You're offering me a job? With these people? Oh YES!" she bowed immediately. Seemed she had some semblance of noble training at least. 

        Xander gave a small smile at her enthusiasm. Seemed that nothing could beat it out of her, which was honestly another point in her favor. He dipped his head to Laslow, who smiled at him and then produced the sealed letter from his bag, holding it out to Peri, who snatched it. "Report to Castle Krakenburg within the next week with that letter," Xander told her firmly. "No later than that. We will start training you for your retainer duties as soon as you arrive."

        "Yes, Your Highness!" She scrambled for the exit, hurrying out into the halls, clutching the letter tightly.

        "Xander... are you certain of this?" Camilla asked lightly. "She is precious, but a bit childish, don't you think?"

        "She's better than the rest of the candidates, and she's a fast learner," Xander replied firmly. "She'll become strong one day." He'd make certain of it. "But we should head home. You didn't leave Elise alone, did you?"

        "Oh dear heavens, no," Camilla replied with a bit of a gasp, while Leo and his retainers immediately headed out of the room, Niles and Odin seeming to take part in a bit of a debate. "She's at the Northern Fortress with darling Kamui, I figured that they could use each other's company while we sorted out some retainer issues."

        "That's fine then." Xander smiled, beginning to walk. "Perhaps we should head there first to spend some time with Kamui ourselves before I report back to Father."

        Camilla gave him a more sincere smile than he normally saw from her, walking beside him while their retainers trailed behind. "That sounds like a perfect way to spend the rest of today."

**Author's Note:**

> *gently slides Ko-Fi link across table* It'd be much appreciated, just saying. I am a starving college student. XD 
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/S6S8N8BR 
> 
> Thanks for reading regardless. :)


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